White City, Oregon...August 27...Taking the lead from Ray Kniffen Jr. just past the halfway point of the race, Monte Bischoff won the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. It was a final chance for the drivers to get tuned up for Labor Day Weekend's big $5000 to win 21st Annual Lon Skinner Memorial Race. Bischoff never could shake Kniffen as they scored a close 1-2 finish. Bischoff becomes the fifth different winner is the six races held so far.

The track runs a four lap Trophy Dash of the previous Top 4 feature finishers, and Bischoff won that race ahead of two time reigning champion Albert Gill. Mark Wauge won the first six lap heat race with Bischoff making a late pass on Nick Trenchard for second. Zach Fettinger made a last turn pass on Gill to win the second heat race. Kniffen had the pole for the Main Event with Bischoff starting behind him in third. Kniffen charged into the lead at the start ahead of Bischoff and Dwarf Car champion C.J. Putnam. Fettinger made a front stretch pass on Putnam for third on lap two, and the yellow flag flew after four laps for Gill in Turn 2. Gill and division newcomer Jay Poppa both pitted, and Kniffen continued to lead Bischoff and Fettinger on the restart. Bischoff was shadowing Kniffen's every move, but Kniffen did a great job of leading the way until a lap 14 yellow flag flew for past Susanville champion Chris Olexiewicz and rookie James Welshonse in Turn 4. Olexiewicz retired from the race. On the restart, Bischoff got a good run on Kniffen and emerged with the lead by the time they exited Turn 2. Trenchard and Wauge raced into third and fourth on the restart. Kniffen ran closely behind Bischoff, looking for a way by on the inside. However, Bischoff drove a brilliant race up front and sped to a well earned victory. Kniffen was a close second. Trenchard repelled Wauge's advances to finish third. Welshonse brought it home a strong fifth ahead of Duane Orsburn, Putnam, Fettinger, Olexiewicz, Gill and Poppa.

White City, Oregon...August 27...Taking the lead from Jimmy Lipke on lap nine, Rich McCoy went on to win his first 20 lap IMCA Sport Modified Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. McCoy was sporting a new car and paint job with Lightning McQueen colors from the Disney movie Cars. McCoy becomes the fifth different winner in the competitive division as Yreka point leader Lipke settled for second. It was also a nice tuneup race for the drivers as they get ready to run for extra money in the Sport Modified portion of the Lon Skinner Memorial Race on Labor Day Weekend.

Mike Medel started things of by winning the four lap Trophy Dash ahead of fellow championship contender David Marble. Lipke won his six lap heat race by a wide margin ahead of Marble. McCoy went flag to flag to win his heat race ahead of Medel. Lipke charged into the lead at the start of the Main Event ahead of McCoy and Medel. McCoy was pressuring Lipke hard for the lead before making an inside pass in Turn 3 of the ninth lap to grab the spot. Medel was running a solid third ahead of Willie McFall as McCoy began lapping slower cars by lap 12. With his car already loaded and on the way to Boone, Iowa for the IMCA Nationals, point leader Jorddpn Braaten drove the Glen Severson car, but he pitted on lap 12. McCoy set a rapid pace in the smoothly run event and scored the impressive victory ahead of Lipke, Medel, McFall, Doug Franklin, Marble, Garrett Hamilton, A.J. Parker and Braaten.

White City, Oregon...August 27...Taking the lead from Matt Harlow on the ninth lap, Miles Deubert went on to score an impressive victory in the 20 lap Valley Boys Auto Sales Outlaw Pro Stock Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. It was the second win of the season for Deubert, who is the 2014 Street Stock champion at the track. James Flowers wheeled the Arlen Garrison owned car to a second place feature finish as he still has his sites set on third in the standings.

His third place finish last time out put Scott Flowers on the front row for the four lap Trophy Dash, and he won a spirited duel with Rocky Nash for the victory. Point leader Steve Borror was dealt a surprise as Nash made a last turn pass on him to win the first six lap heat race. Deubert enjoyed a flag to flag romp for the victory in his heat race as two time champion Ken Irving finished second. After a couple of false starts, the Pro Stock drivers proceeded to run one of their smoothest Main Events of the season. Harlow grabbed the lead at the start of the race ahead of Irving and J. Flowers. An outside move on the front stretch of the fourth lap gained Deubert third from J. Flowers, and he made an outside pass on the back stetch a lap later to grab second from Irving. J. Flowers followed Deubert into third. A low move in Turn 4 of the ninth lap gained Deubert the lead from Harlow. J. Flowers quickly moved in on Harlow before making an inside pass in Turn 4 of the 12th lap to take second. S. Flowers was in fourth when the lone caution flag flew on lap 16 for debris on the track. Julia Flowers joined Rick Lukens in the pits for a rare DNF on what was her 18th birthday. Deubert led James Flowers and Harlow on the restart. Nash took fourth from S. Flowers, and then Nash passed Harlow in Turn 2 of the 18th lap to grab third. S. Flowers also got by for fourth. However, Deubert set a rapid pace up front and brought it home to a well earned victory. James Flowers was a season best second ahead of Nash, S. Flowers, Harlow, Steve Borror, Irving, Roy Bain, Scott Bennett and Julia Flowers.

White City, Oregon...August 27...Leading all the way from the start, Aaron Miller won the 20 lap Pennzoil Winged Sprint Car Main event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. A regular at Petaluma Speedway who hails from nearby Grants Pass, Miller fought back tears as he accepted his trophy in the post race interview.

Past Chico Wingless Spec Sprint champion Rowdy McClennon competed in the Mark Michelet car and started the night off with a four lap Trophy Dash win ahead of Wayne Kniffen. McClennon established himself as the driver to beat in the Main Event after winning the six lap heat race ahead of Miller. Miller and McClennon led the field to the Main Event green flag, and Miller surprised McClennon by charging into the lead at the start. Miller made no mistakes for the entire distance as he earned the victory ahead of McClennon. Wayne Kniffen kept his hopes of moving into second in points alive by driving to a third place finish and clocking in with the fastest lap of the race of 11.787 on the three-tenth mile clay oval. Rookie Jeffrey Hudson remains in title contention following his lead lap fourth place finish.

The final Pennzoil Winged Sprint Car race of the season is slated for September 24th, but the track will host the third and final race of the $1000 to win Extreme Sprint Car Triple Crown Series on September 10th. Ricky Ashley won the first race at Cottage Grove ahead of past track champion David Hibbard, Kinzer Cox, Tyler Thompson and newly crowned repeat champion Patrick Dills. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

White City, Oregon...August 27...In another impressive display of speed, Lee Doty won his third 20 lap Super 4's Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. Doty won all three races on the night and could see the battle for second in front of him as he took the checkered flag in the Main Event. Charlie Eaton won a drag race back to the line to beat point leader John Barger for second. The 2013 champion Barger only leads Doty by a few points with the season nearly over.

Doty started his night off right with a four lap Trophy Dash win ahead of Eaton. He continued an impressive night by winning the six lap heat race by about a straightaway over Dan Prewitt. Doty had the pole for the Main Event and bolted into the lead at the start. Doty held a straightaway lead by lap four as Eaton took second from Prewitt. Barger gained third on lap as the Doty advantage was stretched to half a lap by six. Doty started lapping slower cars by lap ten, and Prewitt retired from the race on lap 13. As Doty took the checkered flag, he could see a close battle for second between Eaton and Barger in front of him. Barger made a run at Eaton, but it was Eaton having his best finish of the season in second. Bill Spencer, Eric Oahs and Prewitt completed the finishing order.

Thomason Wraps Up OTRO Hardtop Season With Thrilling Victory At Southern Oregon Speedway

White City, Oregon...August 27...Returning to the driver's seat after missing the previous race, Trevor Thomason won a drag race to the line with Bill Trotter for the 20 lap OTRO Hardtop Main Event victory. The win was the fourth of the season for Thomason as he won every Main Event he started aboard the Vic & Louise Bridges owned car. Trotter was also back after turning the wheel over to Mark Winter in the previous race, and he made a nice charge at the end before settling for second.

After Wylie Powell had a problem with the Dusty Trotter car before the Trophy Dash, B. Trotter graciously let him drive his car in the race. Powell responded by scoring his first victory ahead of Jimmy Del Castille. With no time to switch drivers after the trophy ceremonies, Powell got to drive the car again in the six lap heat race. He responded by holding off Thomason to win that race as well. Powell got to make a few laps in the Dusty Trotter car before starting it in the Main Event. Powell led one lap of the Main Event before Thomason came speeding by on the front stretch for the lead. B. Trotter followed the lead duo closely in third. A low move in Turn 4 of the tenth lap would gain B. Trotter second. Thomason was in slower traffic by lap 11, but this time B. Trotter and Powell were not far behind him. B. Trotter began to close the gap on Thomason, and he positioned himself to make a move on the last lap. B. Trotter gave it a good run as they exited the final turn, but Thomason prevailed by inches. Powell wrapped up his best night of the season with a lead lap third place finish. Chris Mehrer, Del Castille and Crouch rounded out the finishing order.

White City, Oregon...August 26...Tanner Holmes wrapped up a great night of racing at the Southern Oregon Speedway Outlaw Kart Track Friday night. Holmes led all 20 laps to win his third 250 Kart Main Event after winning both heat races and the Trophy Dash. Point leader Bodee Weiser held off Tanner's sister Carley Holmes for the second place finish.

Merissa Henson debuted her 500 Kart by winning both heat races, the Trophy Dash and 15 lap Main Event ahead of new point leader Johnny Burke.

After spinning in an opening lap tangle with fellow heat winner Natalie Richard, point leader Trevor Grimes grabbed the lead on lap seven and won the 20 lap Box Stock Main Event. Brionna Fuller led six laps before settling for second.

Taylor Fuller led from start to finish for the 15 lap Box Stock Main Event win. Fuller won his two heats and the Trophy Dash, while double heat winner Jacob James battled back from a spin to finish second.

Tanner Holmes continued his impressive winning streak in the 250 Outlaw Karts. After winning his two heats and the Trophy Dash, Holmes charged out to the lead at the start of the 20 lap Main Event, leaving the battle for second behind him. Point leader Bodee Weiser was second early on as Braden Cory took third from Devin Felix with a back stretch pass on lap lap five. Cory raced by Weiser for second on a lap eight restart, but he spun off the back stretch for a lap 11 caution flag. Holmes led through five different yellow flags and won by a good margin. Weiser withstood some late pressure from Tanner's younger sister Carley Holmes to finish second. Felix wrapped a good night in his division debut with a fourth place finish ahead of Enrique Jaime. Felix and Weiser each won heat races.

After three straight Top 3 seasons in her 250 Kart, Merissa Henson has been making a run at the Top 3 in Mini Stock points on the big track this year. Friday night was her opportunity to debut her 500 Kart, and she did it with wins in both heat races, the Trophy Dash and the 15 lap Main Event. Henson led all the way with point leader Johnny Burke right behind her in second. Jeffrey Hudson was a Main Event scratch, and Steve Rambo had his Kart in the pits in an effort to sell it.

Trevor Grimes continued his domination of the Box Stock division by winning his third 20 lap Main Event. Grimes won the Trophy Dash and a heat race, but Natalie Richard won the other heat race to prevent the sweep. At the start of the race, Grimes and Richard got together in Turn 4 and spun for a yellow flag. Brionna Fuller had the lead for the complete restart, and Grimes immediately charged into second as Ryan Hirschbock led a thee car battle with Emma Rodgers and Richard for third. Fuller kept it on the bottom and Grimes looked for an opening to race underneath. Grimes finally found the opening and made a low pass in Turn 4 of the seventh lap to take the lead. Rodgers made an inside pass in Turn 4 of the 12th lap to take third. Grimes held the lead the rest of the way for the win as Fuller settled for second ahead of Rodgers, Richard and Hirschbock.

Yreka point leader Taylor Fuller won his second straight Beginners Box Stock 15 lap Main Event. Fuller also won his two heats and the Trophy Dash comfortably. Season opener winner Jacob James won his two heats. Fuller led from the start. James spun from second for a lap nine caution flag. By then, Fuller had lapped all but the Top 4 cars. James was already back in second by lap 11, but Fuller sped to the victory. In only his second race, Malachi Johnson finished a strong third and was second in both of his heat races. Shailene Horn was a lead lap fourth as Adrian Richard finished fifth.

Saturday, August 27, 2016

White
City, Oregon...Taking the lead from Ray Kniffen Jr. on a lap 15
restart, Monte Bischoff went on to win the 25 lap IMCA Modified Main
Event Saturday night Southern Oregon Speedway. Kniffen ran closely
behind Bischoff, but he was unable to make the move as he settled for
second ahead of Nick Trenchard.

Aaron Miller led from flag to flag to win the 20 lap Pennzoil Winged Sprint Car Main Event ahead of Rowdy McClennon.

Sporting
a new "Lightning Mcqueen" paint job on his IMCA Sport Modified, Rich
McCoy won a mid race duel with second place finisher Jimmy Lipke to get
his first 20 lap Main Event win.

Miles Deubert took the
lead from Matt Harlow on lap nine and won his second 20 lap Outlaw Pro
Stock Main Event. James Flowers finished a season best second.

Lee
Doty wrapped up an impressive evening by winning the heat, Trophy Dash
and his third 20 lap Super 4's Main Event. Charlie Eaton won a drag
race to the line with John Barger for second.

Trevor
Thomason returned to the winner's circle for the fourth time in the OTRO
Hardtops by leading most of the way to win their 20 lap Main Event.
Bill Trotter made a last lap bid for the win before falling short by
inches.

Monte Bischoff scored an impressive 25 lap IMCA
Modified Main Event victory. Bischoff won the Trophy Dash earlier in
the evening and chased early leader Ray Kniffen Jr. for 14 laps in the
Main Event. Bischoff took the lead on a lap 15 restart and had to hold
off Kniffen, who tried hard to make a move. Kniffen settled for a
strong second place finish as Nick Trenchard held off Mark Wauge in a
close battle or third. James Welschonse completed the Top 5 at the
checkered flag.

An emotional Aaron Miller fought back
tears as he was interviewed by Bryce Burtner following his 20 lap
Pennzoil Sprint Car Main Event win. It was Miller's first ever win, and
he ran a flawless race to lead every lap. Trophy Dash winner Rowdy
McClennon finished second ahead of Wayne Kniffen and Jeffrey Hudson.

Rich
McCoy had a new car and Disney's Cars themed paint job on his IMCA
Sport Modified. He won his fist Main Event after taking the lead from
Yreka point leader Jimmy Lipke with a low move in Turn 3 of the ninth
lap. After leading the first nine laps, Lipke ran second the rest of
the way behind McCoy. Mike Medel gained ground in the point race with a
solid third place finish as Willie McFall held off Doug Franklin to
finish fourth.

Lee Doty set a rapid pace in winning his
third 20 lap Super 4's Main Event. Doty won the heat race and Trophy
Dash and gained significant ground on John Barger in the point battle.
Doty could see the battle between Charlie Eaton and Barger in front of
him as he took a checkered flag in first. Eaton barely held off Barger
for second as Bill Spencer and Eric Oahs rounded out the Top 5.

Trevor
Thomason once again won the 20 lap OTRO Hardtop Main Event, but it
wasn't easy. Thomason gained the lead on lap two. Bill Trotter and
Wylie Powell ran not far behind him most of the way. During the final
few laps, Trotter closed in on Thomason and finished just inches behind
him. It was the fourth win of the season for Thomason as Trophy Dash
winner Wylie Powell finished third ahead of Chris Mehrer and Jimmy Del
Castille.

Racing returns next weekend with the Lon
Skinner Memorial for IMCA Modifieds. The 21st annual event will run
preliminary races on Saturday with the IMCA Modifeds paying $5000 to win
on Sunday. IMCA Sport Modifieds and SODCA Dwarf Cars will compete on
both nights. For further information, go to
www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

Thursday, August 25, 2016

White City, Oregon...Scorching hot weather forced the cancellation of two nights of racing at Southern Oregon Speedway last week. However, two nights of racing are on the calendar this week at the speedway.

Friday night will be time for the Outlaw Karts to compete on the one-eighth mile dirt oval, and on Saturday night, there will be seven divisions in action on the big track. The IMCA Modifieds were added to Saturday's show to ensure that the racers would have all of the point races necessary for IMCA sanctioning. Joining this division on the card will be IMCA Sport Modifieds, Valley Boys Auto Sales Outlaw Pro Stocks, Pennzoil Winged Sprint Cars, Super 4's and the OTRO Hardtops.

Two time Street Stock champion Duane Orsburn #0 is in the hunt for the IMCA Modified championship.

For the IMCA Modifieds, this is the time of year for the championship race to heat up and ultimately be decided. There are four events left on the calendar, and it's anybody's guess who might walk away with the championship. With two Main Event wins to his credit, six time champion Mark Wauge seems to be the driver to beat at this point. However, one time winner Duane Orsburn has been gunning for the championship and trails Wauge by only three points.

Bo Shields #555 is a multi time Top 10 ranked Modified driver at Southern Oregon Speedway.

Wauge is confirmed for this Saturday. This puts the six time track champion at the top of the list of favorites to win this week. You also have to factor in two time reigning champion Albert Gill and rookie James Welschonse. Gill won the most recent IMCA Modified race. Nick Trenchard, Jesse Bailey and Bo Shields are others to watch for this week.

With the Lon Skinner Memorial race coming up the following week, this is also an opportunity for the racers to make their shakedown runs on their cars before the big show. If there is that one thing that you missed on your setup or with the motor, you can catch it at this race. The big money will be on the line with the $5,000 to win on Sunday, September 4th.

In the IMCA sport Modified division, the Main Event glory seems to have been gobbled up by division powerhouse Jorddon Braaten. The two time reigning champion now has four feature victories and holds a 24 point lead over Mike Medel. Medel is the reigning IMCA State champion, but currently that race is being led by Braaten, who has also won seven races in seven starts at Cottage Grove Speedway. Medel has three second place finishes. Much like rookie David Marble, Medel is still looking for his first feature win. Marble only trails Medel by 14 points in the battle for second.

The Sport Modified division has been growing this year, and word was that we would be seeing the return of Rich McCoy in a car painted reminiscent of Lightning McQueen from the Disney movie Cars. Other drivers to watch for this week include Tony Bartell, A.J,.Parker, Willie McFall and Glen Severson.

Rookie Julia Flowers #20 is fourth in the Pro Stock point standings.

The Valley Boys Auto Sales Outlaw Pro Stocks have been dominated this year by Steve Borror. Borror has now won seven of the 10 races held for the class so far, including the $1,000 in the most recent Roger Haudenshild Honors race. With Borror winning so much, only three other drivers have visited the Winner's Circle this year. Miles Deubert and NASCAR veteran Rocky Nash have earned wins at Southern Oregon Speedway and two time Super 4's champion Brian Johnsen has a win at Yreka.

In the championship battle, Scott Flowers is currently second behind Borror. Flowers has finished second in the standings for the past two years. Last time out, he had a concern that he may not even make it through the whole night after he found a problem with his motor just before putting the car on the trailer. He made the decision to come out and race anyway and managed to get a third place finish. Flowers be could be a driver to watch in the quest to defeat Borror, and other hard chargers we anticipate on Saturday are third place point competitor Matt Harlow, James Flowers, two time champion Ken Irving, Scott Bennett and Roy Bain.

The Pennzoil Winged Sprint Car championship appears to be at hand for third generation racer Jake Wheeler. With one win and three second place finishes, Wheeler pretty much just needs to make a start this week and the title will be clinched. The battle would seem to be between Wayne Kniffen, Bill Hopper and Jeffrey Hudson for second in the standings. Hudson currently holds a seven point lead over Hooper and an 18 point lead over Kniffen.

There have now been nine different competitors in the Super 4's division, which was added to the program after being gone for the past two seasons. John Barger got off to a good start, but hard charger Lee Doty has been creeping up on him slowly. After the fourth event, two time winner Doty has moved to within 13 points of Barger in the championship battle. The division has also seen some good drivers joining the action in recent weeks, including Eric Oahs and feature winner Dan Prewitt. These souped up 4 cylinder Stock Cars put on a good show, and racers like Terry Hadley, Krista Hadley, Charlie Eaton and Bill Spencer make this division entertaining to watch.

Not to be forgotten in the mix are the OTRO Hardtops. Trevor Thomason has won three of four exhibition events in the Vic & Louise Bridges owned entry. Thomason has been a fast competitor, and Bill Trotter's car has also been very competitive. With Trotter stepping out of the cockpit last time, it was Mark Minter picking up wins in both the Trophy Dash and Main Event. There are some beautiful race cars in this group. The cars are reminiscent of the cars that ran at the old Medford Speedway and other tracks back in the 1950's and 1960's. Other drivers to watch for this week include Wylie Powell, Jimmy Del Castille and Chris Mehrer.

If you're looking for more racing in addition to the Saturday night show, The Outlaw Kart race track will have you covered. The 500 and 250 Karts will be there along with the Box Stock class and the youngsters in the Beginner Box Stock division. There will be lots of racing on the 1/8 mile clay oval as each division gets two sets of heats before their Main Events. It's an opportunity to watch some of the future stars of the big track as they get their starts in racing. Young chargers like 250's point leader Bodee Weiser, Box Stock leader Trevor Grimes, past 250's champion Brody Sim and Brendon Bartlett are names you may be hearing on the big track someday soon.

The Friday Night Show and the Saturday show both have gates opening at 5 p.m. with the first race starting at 7 p.m. Friday Night tickets are $10 for general admission, and Saturday night tickets are $12 for adults, $6 for Seniors and Juniors and children 5 and under are free. For further information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

Last Time Out, The Outlaw Karts Put On A ShowAt Southern Oregon Speedway

As we prepare for Outlaw Karts this Friday (August 27) night at Southern Oregon Speedway, here's an excerpt from a recent edition of the Pit Stops column from Jefferson Racing News.

White City, Oregon...The
Pit Stop Reporter has literally pushed this column as far back as
possible before having to cancel it. But, we're not doing that. We are
coming off of the Big Vern Wheeler Memorial Kart Race at Southern Oregon Speedway. Buzz has generally been
positive. The Kart racers enjoyed the little track that Uncle Rich and
his crew worked very hard to give them Friday night. Kudos go out to
Rich for his hard work, but we'd prefer he not put himself into the
hospital doing it next time.

Bodee Weiser #87 is a feature winner and the point leader in the 250 Kart division.

Kudos go
out to Mike Wheeler. The big 500 Open Out Kart race was his idea as a
means to give his fellow racers a big race in which to compete, while at
the same time paying tribute to his father, the late Vern Wheeler Sr.
Though he's been gone a few years now, his memory lives on in his
children and grand children. Mike's mother was there to drop a green
flag on the big money race and award the big trophy to the winner. When
it was all said and done, the winner was Mike.Make no
mistake, this wasn't about Mike getting a big win for himself. He
happens to be one of the best 500 Open Kart racers in the Nation right
now, and he's going to be a factor in any big race. However, he had to
work hard to get this win and showed the personal wear and tear after
winning the 50 lap marathon on the one-eighth mile clay oval. Jesse
Colwell and then Jake Park provided the challenge with Park eventually
finishing second ahead of Chase Hill. Park and teammate Tyler Seavey
were in from California like a good portion of the drivers in the field.

Loveah "The Love Bug" Crice #7 is one of the many talented girls in the Box Stock division.

Not
surprisingly, young Tanner Holmes had another outstanding showing.
Coming off of his big win in Montana a few weeks ago, he picked up a
solid fifth placed finish in the 23 car 500 Open class. He was in the
Top 5, pitted and drove back up to fifth. But the Holmes family was not
content with this finish. Tanner won both of his heat races in the 250
Kart class, and the reigning champion held off previous winner Bodee
Weiser and Maximus Mittry to win the Main Event. Weiser continues to
lead the point race so far.Not to let
her big brother have all the fun, 2014 Box Stock champion Carley Holmes
won a heat race and then proceeded to hold off point leader Trevor
Grimes to win that division's Main Event. Grimes, who is the reigning
champion, was riding a two race win streak, but he was no match for
Carley. This talented young lady has moved into a 250 Kart class this
season as well and is excited about making the move up. Grimes wasn't
far behind her at the checkered flag as Brionna Fuller finished third.

Not to be
forgotten in the group of some 55 Karts were the 12 Beginners Box
Stocks. On this occasion, every one of these youngsters got behind the
wheel and gave it a shot at least once. The two fastest Karts were
those of Taylor Fuller and Daisy Gargurevich, and both won a pair of
heat races. You can see where these two are nearing the point where
they will be ready to move to the regular Box Stock class. Taylor
lapped all by Gargurevich in victory. Point leader Kiley Grimes
continues to improve with her third place finish while Malachi Johnson
made his very first start with a fourth place finish.Friday
night highlighted the potential of this Kart track to have big races.
The program is still a work in progress as the teams realize there is a
commitment to make the track better and build on the program. There are
many ideas for the future to build on. New divisions that may be
considered in the future, and the the Vern Wheeler Sr. Memorial will be
an annual event. The next two event on the calendar is this Friday night.

The Super 4's Are Back In A Rebuilding Year

At Southern Oregon Speedway

Lee Doty #7 is a two time Super 4's Main Event winner so far this year.

White City, Oregon...The Super 4's division returns to Southern Oregon Speedway this Saturday night. This will be their fifth of six scheduled appearances on the 1/3 mile clay oval. They will return for the season finale on September 24th. The division was a regular part of the speedway for over a decade before drivers went elsewhere at the end of the 2013 season.

Through the years, four cylinder racing has taken some flack from racing enthusiasts who see the four cylinder engine as somehow lesser than the V8. However, the observant fan knows just how good this form of racing is. Back in the 1980's, in Fremont, California, Baylands Raceway had several different varieties of four cylinder racing from Mini Stocks to the exotic Mini Outlaws. What that gave Baylands was a ladder for Mini Stock drivers to climb from entry level to faster classes, and there were drivers who did just that.

Bill Spencer #99 is currently third in Super 4's points.

Southern Speedway had a Mini Stock division when it opened in 1996, and the division has continued to be a part of things ever since. As the 2000's came along, the Super 4's division was added. Stars such as Brian Johnson, Joe Guider and Reggie DeVore won championships through the years, and competitors such as Bryan Barns, Pat Akins, Vicki Macormick and Krista Hadley moved up from the Mini Stocks into the Super 4's division. In fact, Barns is a two time Super 4's champion with a Mini Stock championship before moving up.

In 2013, John Barger won the last championship before the class was dropped. Though drivers moved on, Barger was one of those racers waiting for the opportunity to come back to his home track. Currently, he is being shown at the point later. Last season, Barger, and hard chargers Lee Doty, Charlie Eaton and Bill Spencer were among the competitors who ran a special August race to see if there was interest in bringing this division back to the speedway. All four drivers are a part of this season's roster.

2016 is seen as a rebuilding year for the popular Super 4's division, and already nine different cars have been at the speedway so far this year. Making their return this year are the husband and wife duo of Terry and Krista Hadley. Also joining the class this year and winning a feature in Dan Prewitt and the man who finished second to him that night, Eric Oahs. Steve Thompson won the season opener, but after blowing a motor in the second race, he has been working to get things back together.

In an effort to get these cars back to the track, the rule book has been relaxed in favor of rebuilding the class. The roster continues to grow, and it is believed that there will be double digit car counts when this division returns to the speedway in 2017.

The Super 4's division gives the fans a Late Model look without the Late Model budget. The action is close and exciting on the racetrack every week. The desire to make this class work has created a closely knit group. People are quick to pitch in and help each other when they can.

Though he has two wins this year, Doty is working just as hard off the track to get more cars out there. There have been three different Main Event winners in the four races held so far, and most of the drivers are so competitive right now that we could see our fourth different winner when the division returns this week.

So grab a seat when the Super 4's roll onto the track on Saturday, though you may only be using the edge of it. Barger, Doty, Prewitt, Eaton, Spencer, Oahs, Thompson and The Hadley's and their fast Super 4's will be putting on a show that you won't want to miss!

OTRO Hardtops Return To Southern Oregon Speedway

For Final 2016 Appearance

One of the two Bill Trotter owned cars that has supported all of the races this year.

White City, Oregon...The Old Time Racers of Oregon return to Southern Oregon Speedway with their Hardtops for their fifth and final appearance of the season this Saturday night. This is a group of racers more accustomed to running on the pavement, but they have given it a go on the dirt four times this year so far. It is a chance for the fans to get a look at the style of race car that was once prevalent throughout the United States in the 1950's and 1960's.

Racing for the fun of it, these drivers run exhibition races that may take on the appearance full fledged racing shows. However, it's more about having fun than who is winning and who is losing. The OTRO does not race for points. In effort to get some of these payment racers to come out and try the dirt, no tire rule was initiated. Many of these drivers are competing on slick tires, which can make things very interesting early in the evening.

Rhett Lange #79 comes from Nevada to support the OTRO Hardtop effort.

Car owner Bill Trotter knows a little bit about that. Bill drives the red #46 1936 Plymouth Coupe, while he has Chris Mehrer driving his red #16 Ford Pick Up. Both have Chevy 250 V6 motors. At the first race this year, Mehrer crossed the line first in an eventful Trophy Dash that saw him spin on the front straightaway on the second lap. Feeling pretty good about the way his truck was running, Mehrer was running hard when he lost control in the heat race and hit the front wall. The impact knocked the front end out from underneath the truck. It was a little bit of work getting the truck back in racing form, but it seems to be running okay now.

The guys are just out there having fun and not so much worried about who is finishing first or who is running last. They frown on point racing as they feel it has a negative effect on the action on the track. The OTRO strives to keep nice looking cars on the race track. One of the nicest looking cars on the track is the #66 1934 Ford four door Sedan of Jimmy Del Castille. Del Castille had a good showing at the most recent event. The #46 Trotter car also ran well with Mark Minter behind the wheel that night.

Jimmy Del Castille #66 has one of the nicest looking Hardtops of the group.

Driving the white and red #26 1936 Plymouth Coupe owned by Dusty Trotter, Wylie Powell has made all of the events along with the red and white #4c 1935 Chevy Sedan of Brian Crouch. The Crouch car actually goes back to the launching of the modern California Hardtop movement in 2002 when it was at the weekend shows at Sacramento and Orland in 2002. Rhett Lange and Gary Barber have also made trips to the speedway this year.

Then, there is the 1933 Dodge Coupe Chevy 250 V6 owned by OTRO President Vic Bridges and his wife Louise. Trevor Thomason is behind the wheel. Trevor is usually setting a fast pace in these exhibition races and putting on a show. Though he's usually being started in the last, he finds his way to the front.

But, it's all in good fun. The closely knit OTRO Hardtop racers show up at the racetrack together and park in a group, and they are always thinking about ways to entertain the fans. For those who remember those days gone by, watching these cars on the race track will spark memories of the good old days. For those who weren't there in those days, you still get a glimpse of some very nice looking race cars. It should be a lot of fun watching the OTRO Hardtops when they take to the track again this Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway.

White City, Oregon...With a little over a week to go until the big Lon Skinner Memorial IMCA Modified Race, Mark Wauge has served notice to the competition that he is coming to the 21st running of the special event at Southern Oregon Speedway. The event, set for Labor DayWeekend (September 2-4), will pay $5,000 to win on Sunday night with the preliminary Main Event on Saturday paying $600 to win and helping set the lineup for the Sunday race. Nick Trenchard and Albert Gill are also confirmed for the show.

Throughout his illustrious career, Wauge has just about won everything a race car driver can win at Southern Oregon Speedway. With six championships in the IMCA Modified division to his credit, nobody has won more than he has. He is also the winner of the 2006 Lon Skinner Memorial Race. When Mark shows up at the racetrack, the competition knows that they have to step up their game to keep him behind them.

Currently, Wauge leads the IMCA Modified point standings in a bid for his seventh track championship. He has two wins this year, and his win in the Roger Haudenshild Tribute Race back on Memorial Day Weekend had everybody at the speedway talking. After a bad heat race put him into the B Main that night, he proceeded to win that race and then started back in the tenth row in the Main Event that would only have one yellow flag. By lap 20 of the 30 lap race, Wauge had taken over the lead from California visitor Darrell Hughes II. He went on to victory from there.

Nick Trenchard is another star who has been on the rise in recent seasons. Trenchard was the winner of the 2014 Lon Skinner Memorial. He is also a multi time Top 5 IMCA Modified point competitor at Southern Oregon Speedway before winning the championship in Yreka last year. He also kicked off the season at Yreka this year with a $1000 victory. Nick finished sixth last year and has to be considered a threat to win this season.

Albert Gill won the most recent race this season at the speedway in impressive fashion. He's been a fixture at Southern Oregon Speedway for years and was a multi time Top 5 ranked Pro Stock competitor prior to moving up to IMCA Modifieds. For the past two seasons, Gill's name has been at the top of the point list as track champion. Anybody who takes Gill lightly may be in for a big surprise . Long time observers say that the breakout win is just around the corner for him.

Wauge, three time Lon Skinner Memorial winner Brian Poppa, Trenchard and Gill lead what is sure to be a strong Southern Oregon contingent that is determined to keep the first prize money in the area. With four time winner Bobby Hogge IV coming back to try to defend his 2015 victory, they know that winning will be a challenge.

Though Wauge, Poppa, Gill and Trenchard are four of the locals confirmed so far, it is anticipated that most of the big names from the area will be there, including Jesse Bailey, 2012 Lon Skinner Memorial race winner Matt Duste, Bo Shields, Duane Orsburn and James Welschonse. The 2016 Lon Skinner Memorial Race is shaping up to be another crowd pleaser.

Sunday, August 21, 2016

White
City, Oregon...When you talk about the best drivers on the West Coast,
names like Bobby Hogge IV, Richard Papenhausen and Brian Poppa come up.
Many people regard Bobby Hogge IV to be the best Stock Car/Modified
driver on the West Coast today. Richard Papenhausen ranks up there as
one of the best Late Model drivers in competition. When it comes to the
greats of Southern Oregon Speedway, everybody knows Brian Poppa's
impressive credentials. As of August 16th, all three divers are
registered for the prestigious Lon Skinner Memorial race on Labor Day
Weekend at Southern Oregon Speedway.

The Lon Skinner
Memorial race pays tribute to the father of Southern Oregon Speedway
founder, John Skinner, and this is the 21st running of the race. The
itinerary shows September 2nd as the pre registration/practice day.
Saturday night is preliminary day, which features a Main Event that will
pay a minimum of $100 to start and $600 to win. The big show on
Sunday, September 4th, will pay a minimum of $500 to start and $5000 to
win. This is the biggest IMCA Modified race on the West Coast. It's
known as a season maker for the racers. The winner's check far exceeds
what many racers will earn for a track championship.

Bobby
Hogge IV comes from a family of fast competitors. Both of his
grandfathers were racers, and his father, Bobby Hogge III is "Hall Of
Fame" worthy in his Late Model accomplishments at tracks like Antioch
Speedway and Watosnville Speedway. It was not a surprise to see the
younger Hogge pick up where his father left off. Bobby won two NASCAR
Regional championships in 1996-1997, and he has won many track
championships since then. After a while, the lure of running the big
races got the better of Hogge. The team realized that if they ran
select big shows and did well, they could win in the neighborhood of
$20,000 in prize money or more for just a handful of races.

At
that point, Bobby built a reputation as a driver who could swoop in and
take the money at the big shows. Naturally, that meant that he would
start competing in the biggest of the big shows, The Lon Skinner
Memorial Race. Bobby hit Southern Oregon Speedway like a tidal wave by
winning three straight Lon Skinner Memorial races, from 2008-2010. Last
season, he won it for the fourth time. The night before, he and
another superstar from California, Kellen Chadwick, waged a crowd
pleasing duel, won by Chadwick. Rumor is that Chadwick, who is the 2016
Wild West Speedweek champion, is coming back for a run at the $5000
prize.

It's hard to overlook Brian Poppa. Through
the years, he has done some impressive things at Southern Oregon
Speedway Poppa started out in Pro Stocks and won the 1999
championship. His "Rookie Of The Year" and point runnerup season in a
Modified in 2000 showed early on that he would be a force in the class,
but he pulled of an impressive feat in 2006. Frank Word III was on a
tear in Pro Stocks, winning four consecutive championship leading into
the season. Word actually won eight championships in a nine year span,
but Poppa made him settle for second in 2006. That wasn't enough for
Brian. He also beat IMCA Modified legend Mark Wauge to win the
championship in that division as well.

With that kind
of talent, you had to know that Poppa was going to beat the best drivers
in the biggest race of them all. In fact, Brian has won three Lon
Skinner Memorial Races (2001, 2005, 2011). He is also the first Wild
West Speedweek champion and won the Southern Oregon Speedway race that
year after winning the B Main to earn his start. Poppa's entry into the
2016 Lon Skinner Memorial automatically makes him a favorite to get the
win.

We can't forget Richard Papenhausen. These days,
he spends most of the Saturday nights in which he races driving a Late
Model, and he just won another feature at Antioch Speedway last week.
However, he is a two time IMCA Modified champion at Chico Silver Dollar
Speedway, to go with his 2014 Late Model championship at Antioch
Speedway. He also leads the points at Antioch this year. When it comes
to the Lon Skinner Memorial Race, Papenhausen is the only driver to
make all 20 of them, and he's intent on continuing his perfect
attendance. And there's another thing to consider. Papenhausen doesn't
just show up at these races, he wins them. Richard won his first Lon
Skinner Memorial Race in 1999, and he became the race's first repeat
winner in 2002.

The IMCA Modified field is sure to be
stacked with talent this year for the Lon Skinner Memorial Race. Hogge,
Poppa and Papenhausen will be three of the top competitors to watch
this year. With IMCA Sport Modifieds and SODCA Dwarf Cars racing both
nights, this will be an entertaining weekend of racing for the fans as
well. Sign up information for racers can be found on the flier, which
is viewable here, http://www.southernoregonspeedway.com/Skinner.pdf

Monday, August 15, 2016

White City, Oregon...August 13...Making a charge from the back of the pack in just a few laps, Steve Borror impressed with his victory in the Roger Haudenshild Honors Race Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. Borror is the current point leader in the Valley Boys Auto Sales Outlaw Pro Stock division, and this was his third win at the track and seventh on the circuit. The win paid $1000, and he added an additional $200 for his charge from the back to win the 10 lap Crack The Whip Challenge Race.

The 15 Outlaw Pro Stocks ran two heat races. Borror won his eight lapper ahead of his closest point rival, Scott Flowers. Tyler Lockwood led six laps of his heat race before slipping back as James Flowers won ahead of Ken Irving. Borror also won the four lap Trophy Dash ahead of Matt Harlow, carrying his perfect evening into the 10 lap Crack The Whip Challenge. Each lap, the last place car is to pull off of the track until one racer remains. Borror was further challenged by the fact that he started last. During the first five laps of an eventful race, Julia Flowers, brother James Flowers and Harlow all led. Borror found himself in the lead by lap six with Miles Deubert giving him pressure. As third place Irving was next to retire on lap nine, Deubert was trying to make a move on Borror. However, Deubert ran out of time as Borror prevailed.

Borror started last in the 15 car field for the Main Event, and outside front row starter Johnny Cobb led one lap before spinning in Turn 2, collecting Julia Flowers. Rocky Nash settled into the lead on the restart ahead of Lockwood and the flying Borror. Deubert spun for a lap three caution flag. Nash led Borror and Lockwood on the restart, and Borror made an inside move on the backstretch of the fifth lap to take the lead. Irving made an inside pass in Turn 1 to claim third. Deubert pitted with a flat on lap ten as James Flowers slipped past Irving for third. A high move in Turn 4 of the 12th lap regained Irving third, and Borror was starting to lap slower cars. Harlow spun for a lap 18 yellow fag. Borror continued to lead as Irving briefly grabbed second from Nash. Nash regained the spot a lap later, and a low move in Turn 4 of the 21st lap gained S. Flowers third from Irving. Borror set a good pace and capped a clean sweep performance with the win ahead of Nash, S. Flowers, James Flowers, Irving, Harlow, Dave Quick, Julia Flowers, Darrel Nelson and Lockwood.

White City, Oregon...August 13...Leading all the way from his pole position start, Gary Anderson won the 20 lap Mini Stock Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. It was the second win of the season for the 2014 division champion and current point runnerup, and he also won his heat race and the Trophy Dash to make it a clean sweep. David Steele made a late pass to finish second.

Anderson won a good battle with Steele to win his eight lap heat race. Merissa Henson won her heat ahead of Andrew Hall. Anderson also won the four lap Trophy Dash ahead of Hall. Mike Cloud suffered his third non feature start of the season after mechanical problems in the preliminaries, and Anderson raced into the lead ahead of Henson at the start of the Main Event. Kristopher Mix spun for a lap one caution flag. Anderson led Henson and Steele on the restart. Devon Weiser spun for a lap four caution flag. Anderson maintained the lead over Henson on the restart, and Burkett made a low pass on Steele in Turn 4 to take third. Steele and Burkett battled hard with Steele regaining third with an outside pass on the front stretch of the seventh lap. Anderson got just a bit sideways in Turn 4 of the tenth lap as Henson moved up on him, and Hall got out of shape in Turn 2 and lost a few positions before Mikey Johnson spun for a caution flag. Anderson led Henson and Steele on the restart. Henson was hanging with Anderson for several laps, but she finally surrendered second to Steele on lap 15 as he raced by on the outside down the front stretch. Burkett made a Turn 4 pass to take third from Henson on the white flag lap. Anderson lapped eighth place Patrick Stringer-Stine as he took the checkered flag in victory. Steele settled for second ahead of Burkett, Henson, Dillen Lausen, Cory Stratton, Dan Borror, Stringer-Stine, Eric Hanson and Garrett Fredrickson.

White City, Oregon...August 13...Grabbing the lead from teammate and championship rival Kalvin Morton early on, Brock Peters would lead the rest of the way for the victory in the 20 lap SODCA Dwarf Car Main Event. It was his fourth win in the last five regular shows at the track as Peters continues to maintain the point lead. Peters swept the heat race, A Dash and Main Event for the evening.

Peters started his night off by making a Turn 4 pass on early leader Camden Robustelli and holding him off to win his heat race. Kalvin Morton won his eight lap heat race ahead of Ryan Smith. Peters repeated his heat race performance by holding off Robustelli again to win the A Dash. Cody Peters won the eight lap B Dash ahead of Chad Cardoza. Polesitter Robustelli led early in the Main Event as Morton settled into second. A Turn 4 pass on lap two gained B. Peters third from C. Peters. The lead three cars had a good battle as Morton made a Turn 4 pass on Robusteli for the lead on lap four. B. Peters followed closely into second and made a low move in Turn 4 of the sixth lap to take the lead from Morton. Cardoza took second on lap seven. C. Peters spun from fifth in Turn 2 for a lap ten caution flag. B. Peters led Cardoza and Morton on the restart. B. Peters led through one more restart as he drove to victory ahead of a season best second for Cardoza. Morton settled for third ahead of Robustelli, Smith, Bud Lorenz, Paul Haslow, C. Peters, Randy Slater and Joe Sanders.

White City, Oregon...August 13...Dan Prewitt scored the victory in the 20 lap Super 4's Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. Prewitt was making his second start at the track after finishing second a few weeks earlier. Only a second in the Trophy Dash marred his otherwise perfect evening.

Coming off of back to back feature wins, Lee Doty won the four lap Trophy dash ahead of Prewitt. Doty missed the heat race as Prewitt won ahead of recent Madras winner Eric Oahs. Prewitt had the pole for the Main Event and raced into the lead at the start. Oahs settled into second ahead of Charlie Eaton. Doty moved into fourth on lap two and passed Eaton for second a lap later. The only yellow flag of the race flew on lap four for incoming point leader John Barger. Prewitt led Oahs and Doty on the restart. The lead three cars ran in order and relatively close the rest of the way with Prewitt winning ahead of Oahs, Doty, Eaton, Bill Spencer and John Barger.

Sunday, August 14, 2016

White City, Oregon...Steve Borror grabbed the $1000 win in the Outlaw Pro Stock 25 lap Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. Borror took the lead from eventual second place finisher Rocky Nash and won the Roger Haudenshild Honors Race. He swept his heat, Trophy Dash and Main Event. Borror collected an additional $200 in the Crack The Whip Challenge, charging from the back in both races.

Dan Prewitt led all 20 laps to win the 20 lap Super 4's Main Event. Eric Oahs out-dueled two time winner Lee Doty for second.

Brock Peters took the lead from rival Kalvin Morton on lap five and led the rest of the way for his fourth SODCA Dwarf Car feature win of the season at the track. Chad Cardoza won a battle with Morton for a second place finish.

Gary Anderson capped a Mini Stock clean sweep of heat, dash and Main Event by leading all 20 laps for his second feature win of the season. David Steele was a close second over point leader Bob Burkett.

Steve Borror won the 25 lap Roger
Haudenshild Honors Race. The current Pro Stock point leader, Borror
came from the back after two yellow flags in the first two laps and
passed Rocky Nash for the lead on lap three. Borror led the rest of the
way to add the $1000 victory to his winnings from 10th starting in the
$200 Crack The Whip Challenge. Nash had a battle with two time champion
Ken Irving, and the two traded the spot before Nash grabbed the second
position for good on lap 18. Scott Flowers and son James Flowers made
late passes on Irving for the 3-4 finish as Irving settled for fifth.

Brock
Peters won his fourth 20 lap SODCA Dwarf Car feature at track this
season. The point leader took the lead from championship rival and
teammate Kalvin Morton on lap six and held off Chad Cardoza for the
impressive win. Morton settled for a solid third ahead of Camden
Robustelli and Ryan Smith.

Madras competitor Dan
Prewitt came back to Southern Oregon Speedway and led all 20 laps for
his first Super 4 win at the track this year. Eric Oahs also came from
up north and won a battle with two time winner and Trophy Dash victor
Lee Doty for a second place finish. Charlie Eaton and Bill Spencer
completed the Top 5 at the finish.

Gary Anderson
wrapped up a clean sweep with his second 20 lap Mini Stock Main Event
victory. Anderson was pressured for several laps by Merissa Henson
before she dropped back a few spots during the final five laps. Four
time winner David Steele made the pass for second on lap 16 but could
only chase the flying Anderson across the line for the second place
finish. Point leader Bob Burkett continued his streak of all podium
finishes with a last lap pass for third as Henson and rookie Dillen
Lausen rounded out the Top 5 at the checkered flag.

Racing
continues next weekend with Outlaw Karts on the small track on Friday
night and IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, Pennzoil Winged Sprint
Cars, Mini Stocks, Hornets and Open Stocks all racing on the big track
on Saturday night. For further information, check out www.southernoregonspeedway.com

White
City, Oregon...The Valley Boys Auto Sales Outlaw Pro Stocks will stage
their tenth race of the season this Saturday night at Southern Oregon
Speedway. The event is a special occasion for the group as the
Haudenshild family has sponsored $1,000 to win in what is being billed
as the Roger Haudenshild Honors Race. Joining the Pro Stocks on the
card this week will be the Mini Stocks, Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars and
Super 4's.

One of the division's the Haudenshild family has been
involved with through the years is the Outlaw Pro Stock division, and
the late Roger Haudenshild was a fan of this class. In addition to the
$1,000 to win first prize being offered Saturday night, the group will
also get to run a "Crack The Whip Challenge" with a cash prize on the
line in that race as well. A favorite race of Roger's, it runs as many
laps as there are cars in the race with the last place car on each lap
pitting until one car remains for the first prize.

When it comes
to the $1000 Main Event winner's prize, point leader Steve Borror would
have to be considered the favorite to win this race. Borror has won six
of the nine races held so far, which includes the most recent race at
Southern Oregon Speedway and the $2500 to win Billy Geyer Memorial Race
at Yreka the week before.

Borror knows the competition is getting
tougher, and last time out he had to contend with Matt Harlow for much
of the race. "Matt drove a great race, " Steve admitted afterwards. "All
of these guys are getting a lot faster and it's getting harder to stay
at the front of the pack. I don't take anything for granted any time I'm
out on the track with these guys."

Pavement racing veteran Rocky
Nash is hoping to give Borror a run for the money this week. Nash has
won his share of races through the years, including wins on the NASCAR
West circuit, and he has two wins in the last two seasons in the Pro
Stock division. Last time out, he finished second after a battle with
Borror. "It's been a lot of fun racing with these guys on the dirt, "
said Nash, who won the most recent Trophy Dash. "Steve has been pretty
fast this year, but I think we've got our car running pretty well now. I
think we're capable of getting a win any time we're out there."

If
Nash is a threat to win, so are the two other drivers who have feature
wins this year, Miles Deubert and two time Super 4's champion Brian
Johnsen. You also can't count out current point runner up Scott Flowers,
who has been close to the front just about every week. Other drivers to
watch for this week include Scott's son James Flowers, two-time
champion Ken Irving, Rick Lukens, John David Duffie, Scott Bennett and
Roy Bain.

Mini Stock racing so far has seen Bob Burkett, Gary
Anderson and David Steele battling fiercely at the front of the pack.
Steele is now a four time winner to three for Burkett and one for
Anderson. Anderson is coming off of a good night last time in which he
won his heat race and the Trophy Dash before settling for third in the
Main Event. "I think we have a car capable of winning, " said Anderson,
who is the 2014 division champion. "It's just that there is little
margin for error out there. As fast as David and Bob are, if you make
one mistake they're going to capitalize on it."

Anderson
currently holds down second in the point standings ahead of the unique
Pinto Wagon of Andrew Hall. Hall had a good showing last time in forth,
which will put him in this Saturday's Trophy Dash along with the big
three competitors. "I think we're capable of getting a win against these
guys, " Hall remarked. "At least I know we're close. I'd love to get a
Trophy Dash win, so I'm going to give it my best this week. If you beat
those guys, you know you've earned it."

Paul's teammate
Kristopher Mix and 14 year old Merissa Henson also currently reside in
the Top 5 in the standings and should be in action this week along with
Dillen Lausen, Mike Cloud, Eric Hanson, Mikey Johnson and Garrett
Frederickson.

On the heels of a 62 car Nationals event for the
Dwarf Car division, the Southern Oregon Dwarf Cars return for a regular
show this Saturday night. The battle between Brock Peters and Kalvin
Morton will be rejoined this week. Peters carries a slight point lead
over Morton, who had been struggling in recent weeks following his flip
on the 4th Of July weekend. Morton appears to have his car dialed in
once again.

However, two time reigning champion Josh King has
much work to do to get his car ready for Saturday night. King flipped
his car in hot laps just before the Fast Dash was to begin last week,
forcing him to scramble for another ride. Northern California star Ryan
Winter gave King the ride in his car, and King proceeded to come from
14th to 2nd in the Pro Division Main Event that night. "That was really
nice of Brian to let me run his car, " King observed. "I definitely
appreciate that. It's a good car, and we gave it everything we had.
Shawn (Jones) was just a bit faster than us, but I'll take a second
place finish after the way the night was going."

Other drivers to
watch for this Saturday night include Camden Robustelli, Randy Slater,
rising young star Cody Peters, Chad Cardoza and Ryan Smith.

The
Super 4 division continues to grow, and seven cars were in action last
time out. Indications are that there could be a new car or two in the
field this week, and they will have to deal with the red, white and blue
#7 car of Lee Doty. Doty is coming off of back to back Main Event wins,
but winning this week isn't the only goal he has in mind.

"I
just want to see more cars out there, " said Doty. "I enjoy racing in
this class, but it's more fun when you have other drivers out there to
contend with. We've been trying to spread the word and help others get
their cars out here, and there are more drivers coming. Hopefully we can
get this class back up to where it was a few years ago."

Other
drivers to keep an eye on this week include point leader John Barger,
Terry Hadley and his wife Krista Hadley, Bill Spencer and Charlie Eaton.

It
all adds up to an exciting night at the races this Saturday night at
Southern Oregon Speedway. The gates will open at 5 p.m. with the Trophy
Dashes scheduled to start at 7 p.m. sharp. Adult tickets are $12 and
juniors and seniors are $6. Children 5 and under are free. For further
information, go to www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

White City, Oregon...August 6...The 21st running of the Lon Skinner
Memorial Race will be happening on Labor Day Weekend (September 2-4) at
Southern Oregon Speedway. This is one of THE biggest races held on the
West Coast every year. The race pays tribute to Lon Skinner. Lon is
the father of the man who built Southern Oregon Speedway, John Skinner.
Ever year, some of the very best IMCA Modified drivers on the West
Coast flock to the fast 3/10th mile clay oval to do battle for big prize
money.

And, the first prize on Sunday is once again very big.
In fact, a win in this race will be a "season maker" for that driver as
it pays $5000! Just to make the 24 car Main Event guarantees that
driver $500 minimum! Entry fees turned in by August 20th will only cost
the racer $175 for both nights of racing. After August 20th is $200
and at the gate is $250. The time is now to guarantee your entry at the
best rate possible. Just click the link to the downloadable flier.

Through the years, the winner's list for the Lon Skinner Memorial Race
has read like a who's who of the best competitors out there. Mark
Wauge, John DeBenedetti, Jesse Williamson, Scott Lenz, Tom Glover...
California superstar Bobby Hogge IV won for the fourth time last year.
Medford area champion Brian Poppa has three wins, while California Late
Model ace Richard Papenhausen has two wins. Will there be a new winner
this year, or will one of our previous winners do it again?

Joining the IMCA Modifieds for both nights will be the IMCA Sport
Modifieds. The Sport Modifieds will race for $400 to win on Saturday
and $600 on Sunday. The division was added as a companion class in
2013, and each year has seen the car count in this class increase. Many
top Sport Modified teams are now marking this race on their schedules
as the place to be.

For the early birds who can't wait to get
spots in the pits and put their cars on the track, Friday will be the
day for early registration and practice. The $10 cost also includes hot
dogs and beverages. Saturday is Preliminary Day, and there's still a
nice $600 to win $100 minimum to start Main Event. Sunday is when the
$5000 prize will be on the line!

So on September 2-4, it's the
20th Anniversary (1996-2016) and 21st running of the Lon Skinner
Memorial Race. It's a race you won't want to miss. Who will claim the
$5000 first prize this year? Two day grandstand tickets are $30,
Satgurday only is $15 and Sunday only is $20. For further information,
check out www.southernoregonspeedway.com.

Medford, Oregon...August 6...Shawn Jones was unstoppable in winning his third consecutive WCDCA Pro Division Dwarf Car Nationals event at Southern Oregon Speedway Saturday night. Jones took the lead from Southern California star John Isabella on a lap ten restart and pulled away from there to the impressive victory in the 30 lap race. Jones also won the Preliminary Feature on Friday. Two time reigning SODCA champion Josh King borrowed the Ryan Winter car and came from deep in the pack for an impressive second place finish. Tim Fitzpatrick held off the challenges of Antioch Speedway point leader Kevin Miraglio to win the 20 lap Veteran Division Dwarf Car feature. In the Sportsman Dwarf Car class, Ben Wiesz repelled the advances of local SODCA competitor Cody Peters to win their 20 lap race.

The Top 10 finishers in the Friday night Pro Division Preliminary Main were locked into the show, and they ran a 10 lap Fast Dash to determine the first five rows of the Main Event. SBDCA point leader David Teves made a last lap pass to win that race ahead of John Isabella and Gene "Punky" Pires. Joe Frock won the first of three 10 lap heat races ahead of Jessica Clark. The heat races set the lineup for the 20 lap B Main. Michael "Spanky" Grenert won the second heat ahead of Matt Hagerman, and local ace Camden Robustelli won his heat ahead of Southern California hard charger Ronnie Williams. After flipping his car in the Fast Dash hot laps, Josh King was given the ride in the Ryan Winter car for the B Main. Frock led from start to finish to win that race. Robustelli spun from the Top 3 just before taking the white flag as Matt Sargent finished second ahead of Grenert, King and Hagerman.

Teves brought the 24 car Pro Division down for the green flag and set the early Main Event pace ahead of Isabella and Jones. An outside move on the back stretch of the fourth lap gained Isabella the lead, and Jones made an inside pass in Turn 1 a lap later to gain second. Pires was third on lap six, and John Chrisman and Willians got together in Turn 4 for a lap ten caution flag. Jones charged into the lead on the restart as two time Antioch champion Danny Wagner settled into third. Sargent and Frock tangled in Turn 3 for a lap 14 yellow flag. King was up to 4th from 14th starting by then, and he pulled even with Isabella in a good battle for second as Jones continued to lead the restart. A low move in Turn 4 of the 16th lap gained King second. Isabella regained second on lap 18 as five cars battled closely for that position. Grenert spun for a lap 18 caution flag, and another yellow flag botched the first restart attempt. Jones continued to lead the final restart, and he pulled away to a straightaway advantage over the second place battle. A low move in Turn 4 of the 22nd lap put King back into second, and Pires made a similar move two laps later to grab third. Jones capped his dominant weekend performance with an impressive win. King salvaged something from a bad night as he finished second ahead of Pires, Wagner, Isabella, Teves, Henry Corbin III, Guy Tow Jr., James Bringster and Sargent.

Buddy Olschowka went flag to flag to win the 10 lap Veteran Division Fast Dash. Dan Geil made a last lap pass on Kevin Miraglio to finish second. Mark Biscardi won the heat race as Scott Dahlgren made a last lap pass on Dan Zuger to finish second in the ten lapper. Olschowka led the opening lap of the Main Event before surrendering the lead to Dan Geil on a lap two restart. Clay Goben spun, but he got going and was lapped on lap four as Kevin Bender ran third. Miraglio took third on lap six before Mike Miller, Guy Tow Sr. and Zuger tangled in Turn 1 for a lap seven yellow flag. Geil led Olschowka on the restart as Bender reclaimed third. A low move in Turn 4 of the ninth lap gained Tim Fitzpatrick second from Olschowka. Don Gifford and Glenn Sciarani got together on the back stretch with Sciarani flipping for a lap nine red flag. He was not injured. Fitzpatrick, Olschowka and Miraglio raced into the Top 3 on the restart, and Miraglio gained second two laps later. Fitzpatrick and Miraglio pulled away just a bit as Biscardi gained third from Olchowka on lap 13 in a close three car battle. Scott Dahlgren raced by Biscardi for third on lap 17. Miraglio ran closely behind Fitzpatrick and gathered some momentum for a pass attempt as they exited Turn 2 working lap 18. Unfortunately. Miraglio brushed the back wall and lost that momentum. That was all Fitzpatrick needed as he brought it home to victory ahead of Miraglio, Dahlgren, Bicardi, Bender, Geil, Eric Weisler, Tow, Tommy Brown and Zuger.

Friday night Preliminary Feature winner Cody Peters won the Sportsman Division Fast Dash ahead of Ben Wiesz and Bud Lorenz. Kyle Jones took the checkered flag ahead of Ryan Klein and Brett Olney to win the ten lap heat race. Peters led the opening lap of the Main Event, but Wiesz found himself in the lead a lap later as Peters stalled on the back stretch with a flat tire. Ken Radabaugh took the lead on the restart, but Wiesz reclaimed the lead a lap later. An outside move on the front stretch of the sixth lap gained the flying Peters third from Tim Reeder, and he made a similar move two laps later to take second from Radabaugh. Peters quickly moved in to battle Wiesz for the lead as Radabaugh had his hands full battling Jones for third. Jones took third from Radabaugh on lap 15 just before a yellow flag flew for Klein. Wiesz maintained the lead on the restart as Peters searched high and low for a way around. However, Wiesz kept his cool and collected a well earned victory ahead of Peters, Jones, Radabaugh, Reeder, Olney, Randy Slater, Lorenz, Klein and Joe Sanders.

White City, Oregon...August 6...Subbing for Bill Trotter, Mark Minter won the 15 lap OTRO Hardtop Main Event Saturday night at Southern Oregon Speedway. Minter claimed the four lap Trophy Dash victory earlier in the evening, and his win snapped a three race win streak for Trevor Thomason. Jimmy Del Castille finished a season best second.

Minter started the evening off by winning the four lap Trophy Dash ahead of Del Castille. Thomason ended up with the six lap heat race win ahead of Del Castille after Minter's car caught fire while leading. Del Castille led the opening lap of the Main Event before Minter drove Bill Trotter's red #46 car past him into the lead. Thomason pitted off the back stretch as Dean Cass settled into third. Cass was making his first start of the season. Wylie Powell pitted the Dusty Trotter car on lap five, and Minter had a straightaway lead by lap seven. Minter lapped both Chris Mehrer and Brian Crouch by lap 12. Minter collected the victory ahead of Del Castille. Cass was lapped on the final lap as Mehrer, Crouch, Powell and Thomason completed the finishing order.

White City, Oregon...August 5...Taking full advantage of his front row start, Shawn Jones led from start to finish to win the Pro Dwarf Car Preliminary Main Event in the Friday night opener for the WCDCA Dwarf Car Nationals at Southern Oregon Speedway. A regular with the NCDCA and SBDCA groups in California, Jones is the defending race champion, and he held off SBDCA Dwarf Car point leader David Teves for the victory. Taking the lead late from NCDCA regular Kevin Bender, SBDCA regular Eric Weisler won the 20 lap Sportsman Main Event. Bender spun late, allowing NCDCA star Buddy Olschowka to finish second. Rising young SODCA star Cody Peters won a mid race duel with Brett Olney to get his first Main Event win in the Sportsman class 20 lapper. Ben Wiesz benefited from an Olney spin to finish second. The Top 10 finishers in each race were locked into Saturday's Main Events.

The Pro class had 32 cars and ran four ten lap heat races. Teves beat CDCA star John Isabella by a good margin to win the first heat race. Jones won his heat ahead of SODCA star Kalvin Morton. SODCA point leader Brock Peters won his heat ahead of club rival Chad Cardoza, and reigning SBDCA champion Gene "Punky" Pires won his heat ahead of Camden Robustelli. Drivers who didn't make the cut battled in the 15 lap B Main to earn the remaining starting spots in the 24 car Preliminary Feature. Sin City Dwarf Car veteran Matt Sargent won that race ahead of Guy Tow Jr., Jeff Fitch and Jeremy Blackshere. Teves drew the pill for the Main Event and a #2 came up to put him on the outside front row next to Jones. Jones raced into the lead at the start with Teves not far behind in second. B. Peters settled into third with Pires and Isabella in close pursuit. A low move in Turn 4 of the tenth lap gained Pires third, and John Chrisman spun on the back stretch for the only yellow flag on lap 11. Jones continued to lead Teves and Pires as Isabella raced past Peters for fourth. Jones and Teves pulled away from the pack with Jones leading by about four car lengths when the checkered flag flew. Pires punched his ticket into Saturday's race with a third place finish as Isabella, Peters, Justin Yanez, two time Antioch Speedway champion Danny Wagner, Morton, Cardoza and two time reigning SODCA champion Josh King followed him into that race with their Top 10 finishes.

The Veteran Dwarf Car group ran three ten lap heat races and Antioch Speedway point leader Kevin Miraglio won his race ahead of Sin City racer Bill Van Praag. NCDCA regular Scott Dahlgren won his heat ahead of past SBDCA champion Mark Biscadi, and Kevin Bender won the last heat ahead of Buddy Olschowka. All 16 competitors ran the 20 lap Main Event, which had to be restarted after Biscardi spun exiting Turn 2, triggering a multi car pileup. Miraglio led the restart ahead of Bender and Van Praag. A low move in Turn 4 of the third lap gained Bender the lead from Miraglio as Olschowka and Weisler both raced by Van Praag for third and fourth. A low move in Turn 3 of the fourth lap gained the flying Weisler second from Miraglio as Olschowka followed closely in third. The lead three cars staged a good battle up front, and Olschowka made a low pass in Turn 4 of the ninth lap to take second from Weisler. Weisler came back strong on the outside to reclaim the position a lap later. Bender and Weisler began to pull away in slower traffic, and the battle heated up on lap 17 as Weisler made an inside pass in Turn 2 to take the lead from Bender. On lap 19, Bender spun in Turn 2 trying to regain the lead, and Weisler cruised to victory from there. Olschowka finished second ahead of Tim Fitzpatrick, Dan Geil, Miraglio, Bender, Van Praag, Jerry Hauck, Zuger and Tommy Brown.

Cody Peters won the first ten lap Sportsman heat race ahead of NCDCA competitor Ken Radabaugh. Kyle Jones won the second heat ahead of Ben Wiesz. All 13 cars started the Main Event, and Wiesz raced into the early lead ahead of Brett Olney. A lap one caution flag flew when Joe Sanders stalled on the back stretch. Olney led Peters on the restart. Tim Reeder did a complete 360 on the back stretch on lap three and kept going. Ryan Klein spun in Turn 2 for a lap four caution flag. Peters presented a serious challenge to Olney on the restart as the two battled side by side at times. A low move in Turn 4 of the tenth lap gained Peters the lead. Olney spun off of Turn 2 and into the infield on lap 12, losing a lap in the process. Peters lost a straightaway lead when a lap 16 caution flag flew for a multi car crash in Turn 2. Peters led Wiesz and Bud Lorenz on the restart, and the lead trio ran in order to the checkered flag. Tim Reeder salvaged a fourth place finish ahead of Josh Fuller, David Braun, Dennis Hively, Wiesz, Olney and Klein..